Gas + electricity - new property

diljayakody1805

Hi, I bought a property this month. Currently I am living in rented flat. my tenancy finishing in July. Can I leave the new property without setting up the gas and electricity till I move into the new property. Can I leave the new property empty for two months without setting up gas and electricity. I very much appreciated any advice about this.Thank you

Reed_Richards

If the "new" property is a new build then I don't know what the situation is.  But if it is new to you but "preowned" then you inherit whatever utilities supplier the previous owner used.  You will be liable for the standing charge and it's likely that just having things tick over may give rise to a bit of actual use.  You should read and record the meters on the day you take ownership (or as near to that day as possible).

You posted on the wrong board, by the way. 

diljayakody1805

Reed_Richards said:

If the "new" property is a new build then I don't know what the situation is.  But if it is new to you but "preowned" then you inherit whatever utilities supplier the previous owner used.  You will be liable for the standing charge and it's likely that just having things tick over may give rise to a bit of actual use.  You should read and record the meters on the day you take ownership (or as near to that day as possible).

You posted on the wrong board, by the way. 

Thank you for the reply. It is not a new build property. It is old property. Estate agent told me that I could use any utility supplier after the completion of the property. I recorded the meters on the day I took the ownership.

MovingForwards

diljayakody1805 said:

Reed_Richards said:

If the "new" property is a new build then I don't know what the situation is.  But if it is new to you but "preowned" then you inherit whatever utilities supplier the previous owner used.  You will be liable for the standing charge and it's likely that just having things tick over may give rise to a bit of actual use.  You should read and record the meters on the day you take ownership (or as near to that day as possible).

You posted on the wrong board, by the way. 

Thank you for the reply. It is not a new build property. It is old property. Estate agent told me that I could use any utility supplier after the completion of the property. I recorded the meters on the day I took the ownership.

EA is wrong. You have to register with the company who supply the gas and electric. When the account is set up then you can transfer to your preferred supplier.

Be aware of the T&C's for your home insurance, some don't like properties being unoccupied that long and others will have certain requirements eg drain down water pipes etc.

Reed_Richards

diljayakody1805 said:

Thank you for the reply. It is not a new build property. It is old property. Estate agent told me that I could use any utility supplier after the completion of the property. I recorded the meters on the day I took the ownership.

You are free to use any utility supplier you choose after completion but not immediately after completion.  If you are not moving in until July then you have plenty of time to set up an account with whatever supplier(s) the previous owners used and then switch to the supplier(s) of your choice.  See https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/consumers/household-gas-and-electricity-guide/connections-and-moving-home/who-my-gas-or-electricity-supplier   if the Estate Agent can't tell you who supplied the previous owners.

matelodave

You become responsible for the bill as soon as you become responsible for the property - ie on the date of completion or the start date of your tenancy not the day you get around to moving in.

Even if the place is empty you must read the meters (and water if you've got a meter) and set up an account with the existing supplier and give them the readings. If you dont do this you could end up paying any arrears that the previous owners/tenants may have accrued if they havent closed their accounts properly (there are many, many threads about this particular problem on this forum). If you dont sort it out promptly 9and properly) then you could end up with all sorts of grief and a ginormous bill in the future.

Only when you've registered an account with the existing suppliers and given them meter readings can you change suppliers for a better deal.

Get into the habit of reading the meters every month, sending in the readings every month and most importantly checking the bill every month to ensure that the correct readings are being used (even if you've got smart meters) and that your direct debit is on track to cover your consumption

MattJKing71

FYI, in this Energy Crisis I've found that no companies want new customers on Standard Variable rates/Price Cap (because it will actually be lower than the current bizarrely high wholesale prices i.e. they'd make a loss.
Also, even the cheapest Fixed deals (for any term) are super-high and above Martin's estimated 44% higher than the price cap that would be worth considering.

MOST PEOPLE: IMHO get on Standard Variable ASAP unless your current Fix is cheaper than the upcoming Price Cap rise (or less than 44% more).
NEW HOME OWNER/FIX RUNNING OUT: The Price Cap in April will make Standard Variable the best value for the time being (probably mid-term e.g. a year at least) - unless any supplier actually offers a magical Fixed deal that is less than 44% more than the Price Cap/Standard Variable price as of April.

canaldumidi

MattJKing71 said:

FYI, in this Energy Crisis.....

You do realise this thread is a year old.....?